This is T.I.'s sophomore release and his first album for Atlantic Records. This album is reality music. Here he uncovers life stories from the trap(where drugs are sold), depicting the unrefined essence of street life, also unveiling the grim realities of the crack game. This album serves as and introduction of an often glamorized underworld, where the uninitiated look at videos and act as if they are in the grind or trap when they are just observing the music of the trap. This is also for other people who experiance the everyday struggle.

Back in 2001 T.I. dropped his debut album "I'm Serious" through Arista Records. Personally I didn't cop the album. When his deal with Arista ended, he still kept writing and just dropped "In Da Streets, Part 1 & 2" on his own Ground Hustle Records. This album sold a staggering 20,000 units just from hand-to-hand distributing, and driving around. He also wrote several tracks on Bow Wow's Unleashed

Trap Muzik includes production from DJ Toomp, San Chez, Carlos & Dada as well as of course Jazze Pha. T.I. has an onorthodox rhymes style that i'd compare to a southern 50 Cent. With that said I know alot of people will be turned off. However instead of rappin some gangster nursery rhymes T.I. raps the streets and not sing song gangster tales. In my opinion dirty south music is garbage, however T.I. is a diamond in the rough in my opinion and his lyrics are REALLY fire. His delivery is awkward as i've stated, but if you can get past that, than you will be treated with some real street lyrics. No More Talk, Time for the review.

1. Trap Muzik(feat. Mac Boney) - $$$ - This beat is pretty tight. T.I. spits streetlife here. This introductory song is a journey thru the mind of T.I. as he talks of just bein' in the trap hustlin and peeps up on him like they hard when they really is p!ssy. His first verse is a pretty mediocre one. Mac Boney spits on the second versesome less than mediocre rhymes here. He spits about flippin pie's and movin weight interstate. T.I. states on the chorus "This aint no album, This aint no game, This is Trap". After this verse T.I. gets chased by the police, they climb a gate and then a different beat comes on. T.I. they spits about competition in the trap. This verse is a bit better than the first containing some streetwise introspection, but nothing really too spectacular.

2. I Can't Quit - $$$$$ - This song is fire. T.I. just spits it all out here. He talks about the trap, the haters and his music career. He rap about how he can't give it up spittin about the trials and tribulations he's faced. He speaks on the transition from the dope to the rap game, and the record deals he's been though and those type of problems he faced with record execs. He raps about how he treats the fans, and how he keeps it real with the fans. "It's been 10 years, an album and 2 deals/For real, we all know I shoulda sold 2 Mil, At least/It's all good tho I flow for the streets/I do it for y'all/Every weekend see who at the mall/Still in the trap signin ya shirts, givin ya doe/Kickin it wit ya, they gitcha funkin' the club/Posin for pictures wit girls/Given em kisses and hugs/Oh now look at sho, passin n!ggas da dro/One of the realest rappers n!ggas'll know". he also states that the fame aint sh!t. The last verse is to the haters. He challenges anyone who thinks he is cocky to step up. He also says again he doesn't really care how much his album sell. The chorus here is tight and the beat is sick. The beat pretty laid back with some guitar twangs at the end of each bar.
"Im this far from bein a star
And I'm just that close to quitin', I never shoulda came close to missin'/
But I wanna be in position, pimpin/
Not a Politician listenin'/
Feel my position/
Its a rough transition/"

3. Be Easy - $$$1/2 - Be Easy will be the second single from Trap Muzik This a a pretty slow rappin song. The beat isnt that hot, even tho the bass is guaranteed to shake the block. This song is pretty much a ghetto anthem. He tells people to "Be Easy". He is pretty much tellin' people when they meet him don't get all excited just be you. He lets you know you aint gotta go out your way to say some stupid sh!t just to impress him. Just be easy, It's all good. He also spits some braggadocio about his flow, and he rap about his city Atlanta.

4. No More Talk - $$$$$($) - This beat is dark with some heavy bass, and it fits the song perfectly. T.I. spits about the streets and also of the rap game and his chorus is just utter frustration with the rap game, sayin' "Ain't No More Talk, Start Killin' n!ggas off till aint no more chalk, and no more tape, to outline no more scenes, and no more crime, no dying for no more fiends, and no more rims and things, and no more green, and no more, chains and rings that go bling bling, and no more, passionate rappin' or so it seems, its just these talentless rappers they all acting, and I know". He is basically blastin' wack emcee's that compromise creativity and substance for the commercial acceptance...Pretty much what is usually coming out of the dirty south. T.I. lets people know he isn't down with that. He also raps about thuggin' and death. He also talk the wars across seas and he states "I rather be dying for something/Than Living for Nothin'", referencing the fact people in the Middle East are dying for there country while be got peeps in the hodd sellin drugs and livin the life for nothin'. He also spits about greed and it poisoning people. He also sounds off on the 9/11 tragedy. This song is one of the best I've heard this year, no doubt.
"Im either running for my life or I'm just waiting to die/
Im the supplier of fire if your chasin' a high/
It's never, when or why, its the way that he die/
Did he stand like a man till the day that he died/
Or was he, reachin for guns and tryin to run/
Or was he, outside on the lawn, in front of his son/
And If you, runnin your mouth you can die in the slums/
Cause in the, south where i'm from they dying for crumbs/
You could, die for your partners or die for your moms/
Or you could, die cause a n!gga just heard the alarm/
Or still, die on a plane, let's say its a bomb/
When they run it into the tower and just say it's Saddam/"

5. Doin' My Job - $$$$$ - This song features a tight beat and some females singing "I'm Just Doin' my job" on the sampled chorus and occasionally on the background. T.I. raps about his upbringing, about how he dreamed of being rich ands famous but for the time being he had to sell drugs to make a living. He also rap about how he was just doin' his job. He spits about he was just out in the grind doin his thing on his job not bothering anyone. How he was providing for his family. In general though this is also for blacks, as he talks about accusations he faces as a black man, sayin "Burlarizing your house, you just hurtin my feelings." and me also says that loving us won't hurt. He tell people before judging others to analyze themselves. He goes back to spitting about when he was 13 years old skippin school to sell drugs. This track is really hot and showcases, T.I.'s introspective side to the fullest.

6. Let's Get Away - $$$ - This beat by Jazze Pha is pretty tight. This song is pretty much just has T.I. rappin about females, showing his romantic side. The chorus is pretty good, and T.I. spits some ok lyrics. However it really pales in comparison to some of the previous tracks. He is rappin about a chick he knew from way back, and the fact there was an attraction between the two but she was involved with another guy, who had more than T.I., and now he wanna know what he aint got that the dude got right now.

7. 24s - $$ - This song is garbage. 24's is the lead single and you've probably seen the video for this song. Yeah you know the "Money, Hoes, Cars and Clothes, That's all all my n!ggas know". This song can really turn people off from this album. It shows the southern 50 Cent side of T.I. to the fullest. He raps about material sh!t with much braggadocio. Without a doubt this is the worst song on the album. The beat is pretty tight however and is pretty much the only reason to give this song a listen, even though T.I.'s lyrics aren't that bad, they are seriously lacking compared to other tracks on this album.

8. Rubberband Man - $$$1/2 - David Banner laced T.I. with this banger. The bass knocks and the synthesizer sound mad sickin' here, making a "Na Na Na Na" type of sound during the chorus and sound real nice. The chorus meshed with the beat will make you nod your head as T.I. say's on the chorus "Rubberband Man, Wild as the Taliban, 9 in my right, 45 in my other hand,(Who Im Is) Call Me Trouble man, Always in trouble man, Worth a couple hundred grand (Who I'm Is)" in a humorous fashion. This is another one of the catchy sing song raps that T.I. does. This is the reason people call him cocky. He raps here about being in the grind and hustlin'. His verse verse is pretty tight, his second verse is mediocre then we get...
"Grand Hustle Man/
More Hustles than Hustle Man/"
Terrible Lyrics on his last verse,as this song goes from potentially great to some trash lyrics at the end but it's still a good song when all is said and done. Also at the end is type of a "Priceless" advertisment Skit, pretty funny.

9. Look What I Got - $$$ - This song feature a sh!tload of sh!t talkin. Braggadocio rules supreme here. He raps about rappin' in the trap and he also tells people that they better invest in him. He also voices off about being compared to other rappers and the fact that he can do one song at a show and f!ck it up for the people followin' him. This beat is really gritty.

10. I Still Luv You - $$$$ - This beat is pretty damn wack and so is the chorus. T.I. however spits some fire here about his woman. He talks about the problems both of them faced. He talks about the mistakes he made and apologizing. He tells of how she moved to Manhattan while he was still in the hood trapping. He also raps about his pops tellin how they didn't really have that great of a relationship, and how he always just wanted his pop to be proud, and he still luv him. He tell spits about his daughter and his baby mom. This track is pretty heartfelt as you can feel the emotions here on this song.

11. Tell Me Tell You Something - $$$$ - This song has a soulful feel to it. The chorus is done perfectly of "Shawty Let Me Tell You Something". T.I. spits to a chick. He tells of all the chicks runnin' in and out of his crib, and he tells her he can't be her man. He tells however how he still finds time to spend time with her. This is a great song to play in the car with your girl. Kind of to get in the modd know what I mean?

12. T.I. vs. T.I.P. - $$$$$ - This song has T.I. battling himself. He is fighting his inner demons, as T.I.P. is his bad self from back in the day. He tells himself he's a muthaf!ckin fool to blow this opportunity. He also tell himself the thing he should and shouldn't do to be successful. He says that he be trippin and overreacting sometimes and he also be makin him sick. T.I.P says that people be tryin him, and T.I. tries to explain that cat probably don't think much more of him than another n!gga in the crowd. T.I.P. states n!ggas be talkin' to loud, but T.I. tells him he be listenin' too hard. As T.I. raps about still bein a G, this excites T.I.P. who says "Oh Yeah good we got key's that n!gga from overseas's back". This is a tough and original track as I don't think I've heard anyone do a track like this before. The only track that comes to mind which is similar is DMX's "Stop Being Greedy". The beat on this track tight even though it sound odd at some times, kind of intergalactic sounding.
(T.I.P) "Im somebody/"
(T.I.) "Shawty Sh!t you be makin me sick(f!ck you)/
You be a muthaf!ckin' fool if you blow this here/
This the chance of a lifetime you know this sh!t/
Remember what ya man told em stay focus TIP/"
(T.I.P) "But they be tryin' me shawty"
(T.I.) "N!ggas be tryin' you how/
Ain't let them tell it you was just another guy in the crowd/"
(T.I.P.) "Yeah but they be talkin too loud"
(T.I.) "Man you be listening to hard/
Just pay these n!ggas no attention and keep f!ckin they broads"
and
(T.I.) "Hold up shawty freeze jack, Lame I'll never be that/
Change my name a thousand times, I'm still a G Believe that/"
(T.I.P.) "Oh Yeah that's good we got keys that n!gga from overseas back/"
(T.I.) "Man you see what I be sayin' about this n!gga, I dont believe that/
You ain't listenin is you, you got issues, I got kids/
Two boys, a lil girl" (T.I.P) "Hey I know n!gga they my kids too/"

13. Bezzle (feat. Eightball & MJG and Bun B) - $$$ - Im not feelin this beat. This song is typically dirt sound rap. Pimpin' ice and cars. T.I. spits some mediocre lyrics. The chorus is tight even though the subject matter sucks. MJG, actually spits some fire here. Back in the 90's I actually felt Eightball & MJG but I hadn't heard too much from them. Anyways back to the song. Eightball stpis some f!ckin trash as he and MJG go back and forth. Bun B spits fire on this track. He spits about the streets actually and about how he came up on the grind. He talks about how he was raised and he put his trust in his left and his right hands, fighting to make a come up.

14. KingofdaSouth - $$$$$ - This song is pure country funk. The beat is slow and laid back and guitar twang and a nice bang of bass. T.I. tells how he is a legend in his own time. He may sound cocky but he can back it up for real. He spits his mind and doesn't give a f!ck about what any other rapper might think. T.I. spits about how it's only 5 n!ggas in Atlanta that really runnin sh!t, and he says that if you gotta think twice then you aint one of them. He once again rips the fake rappers out there in general, with all the bullsh!t running rampant and cloggin up the rap game. The chorus of "What these other n!ggas talkin', I dont believe that sh!t, I'm the king cause I said it and I mean that sh!t, Hey what's so special about him, he aint all that sh!t, I set the city on fire and you seen that sh!t!" lets you know that he is the king, and he sittin pretty in his throne right now in the A-Town.

15. Be Better Than Me - $$$$$ - This beat is really good. He raps about how he is gonna stay on the grind regardless if the people say the crime don't pay. He talks about how the white man has nothin better see than a brother fallin to the streets. He tells young heads that might look up to him not to do what he does and to be like him, but to be better than him. He tells em not to be up in the trap but rather to get up out of the streets, and not to buy into the streets. He tell the young guys to graduate and get there drgree and that the dope game out sh!t. Go To School! The chorus here is also pretty tight and informative for any young brothers listenin to this. A very positve message on this song, good sh!t from T.I.

16. Long Live Da Game - $$$$ - This country funk beat has some organs and guitar twangs to it. The beat is slow but T.I. raps pretty fast, but it still sounds good. This song is pretty short, and he ends it off spitting about the type o sh!t he spit on the first track "Trap Muzik". He spits about runnin from the cops and this time he battles it out and it ends with a gun shot as T.I. states "He'll Die, but long live da game".

This album is tight and it is the best southern album of the year so far. I am going out on a limb giving it 5 stars, but it is a great album. Not a classic but just a notch below classic status. The thing about T.I. is that even though he is getting the exposure he most definitely hasn't sold out. He still reps the streets and talks the street life on this album. Of course he has the club tracks here that aren't all that great lyrically. He even has some positive track here where he just tells young'ns to keep thier heads up and don't get involved in the trap, and to go to school. One really good thing about this album is that he doesn't fill it up with fake a$$ gangsta songs. He doesn't fill it up with Ice, Platinum, rims, gear and gold teeth. He keeps it real and on alot of songs he shows an intropective side of himself. Go cop this album it is great, really.

Overall: 4.6 Stars (rounded up to 5)

Top 3 Songs
1. No More Talk
2. Doin' My Job
3. KingofdaSouth
Honorable Mentions: T.I. vs. T.I.P., I Can't Quit, Be Better Than Me, Just about every other song besides 24's.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving